Glossary — cargo

Stowage, segregation, IMDG, ballast water, dangerous goods, lashing, deadweight planning.

62 terms in this category.

• 'Tween Deck
  An intermediate deck between the upper and lower decks of a cargo hold, providing separate stowage tiers for break-bulk cargo.
• Angle of Loll
  The angle at which a vessel with negative initial stability comes to rest on her side as she cannot return to upright.
• BAPLIE
  An EDI message format conveying the stowage positions of all containers aboard a vessel between terminals and ship operators.
• Bay Plan
  A grid diagram showing every container slot in a vessel's cross-section by bay, row, and tier with container data.
• Boil-Off Gas (BOG)
  Vapour generated naturally as cryogenic cargo (LNG, LPG, ethylene, ammonia) absorbs heat through tank insulation and boils.
• Boil-Off Rate (BOR)
  Daily fraction of cryogenic cargo lost to boil-off, expressed as % of cargo mass per day.
• Break Bulk
  Non-containerised cargo loaded individually as bags, bales, crates, or drums rather than in standard containers.
• Breaking Load (BL) (BL)
  The tested load at which a securing device (rope, chain, wire) will fail — the certification-basis for MSL calculation.
• Broken Stowage
  The wasted space in a cargo hold that cannot be utilised due to the shape or packaging of the cargo being carried.
• Cargo Securing Manual (CSM) (CSM)
  The ship-specific manual required under SOLAS VI/5 + VII/6 documenting the cargo-securing arrangements + calculation methodology.
• Cool-Down
  Gradual cooling of LNG/LPG cargo tanks with cargo vapour before loading to prevent thermal shock to membrane / pressure vessel walls.
• Crude Oil Washing (COW)
  Cleaning crude oil tanks with their own cargo as the wash medium, replacing earlier seawater-flush methods.
• Custody Transfer (CT)
  Measurement and transfer of cargo from seller to buyer in a contractually-binding way, conducted by a third-party surveyor.
• Dangerous Goods (DG)
  Cargo classified under the IMDG Code as posing risks to health, safety, property, or the environment during sea transport.
• Deadweight (DWT)
  The total weight a vessel can carry including cargo, fuel, water, stores, and crew, measured in metric tonnes.
• Deck Cargo
  Cargo stowed on the open weather deck and exposed to the sea environment, requiring additional securing and weatherproofing.
• Displacement
  The total mass of water displaced by a floating vessel, equal to the combined weight of the hull, machinery, cargo, and stores.
• Dunnage
  Timber, mats, or other material placed under or between cargo to protect it from moisture, damage, and shifting.
• Emergency Shutdown (ESD)
  Automated/manual system that stops cargo transfer in seconds when a high-level alarm, leak, or other unsafe condition is detected.
• Forty-foot Equivalent Unit (FEU)
  Standard unit of cargo capacity equivalent to one 40-foot ISO shipping container, equal to two TEU.
• Free Surface Effect (FSE)
  The virtual reduction in GM caused by a liquid surface in a partially filled tank that moves as the ship heels, reducing stability.
• Gassing Up
  Replacing inert gas in LNG/LPG cargo tanks with cargo vapour before cool-down, eliminating CO2 and water that would freeze at cryogenic temperatures.
• IMDG Class 1 (Explosives)
  IMDG dangerous-goods classification for explosive substances and articles.
• IMDG Class 2 — Gases
  Compressed, liquefied, or dissolved gases; subdivided 2.1 flammable, 2.2 non-flammable non-toxic, 2.3 toxic.
• IMDG Class 3 — Flammable Liquids
  Liquids with flash point ≤ 60 °C; classified by packing group I/II/III based on flash point and boiling point.
• IMDG Class 4
  Flammable solids (4.1), substances liable to spontaneous combustion (4.2), substances which emit flammable gases when wet (4.3).
• IMDG Class 5
  Oxidising substances (5.1) and organic peroxides (5.2); pose fire risk by yielding oxygen.
• IMDG Class 6
  Toxic substances (6.1) and infectious substances (6.2).
• IMDG Class 7 (Radioactive)
  IMDG dangerous-goods classification for radioactive material.
• IMDG Class 8 — Corrosives
  Substances causing severe damage when in contact with living tissue or other goods, including most acids and bases.
• IMDG Class 9 (Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods)
  Catch-all for substances dangerous in transport but not fitting Classes 1-8 (e.g., asbestos, dry ice, lithium batteries, env. hazardous).
• International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG)
  IMO code governing the safe carriage of hazardous materials by sea, covering classification, packing, marking, and stowage.
• International Safety Guide for Oil Tankers and Terminals (ISGOTT)
  Industry standard guidance jointly published by OCIMF, ICS, and IAPH for oil-tanker / terminal cargo operations.
• Lashing
  Chains, wire, or webbing straps used to secure cargo on deck or in holds against movement during sea passage.
• Lashing Rod
  A threaded steel rod used in combination with turnbuckles to secure containers and deck cargo against movement at sea.
• Light Ship
  A vessel's weight when fully equipped with permanent fixtures but without cargo, fuel, ballast, stores, or crew on board.
• Load on Top (LOT)
  Pre-COW practice of letting tank washings settle, decanting the water, and loading new cargo on top of the oil residue.
• Marine Pollutant (MP)
  Substance identified in IMDG Code as harmful to the marine environment; carries the 'Marine Pollutant' (dead-fish-and-tree) mark.
• Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
  A document providing information on the hazards, handling precautions, and emergency procedures for a chemical or dangerous cargo.
• Metacentric Height (GM)
  The vertical distance between the centre of gravity (G) and the metacentre (M), the primary indicator of a vessel's initial stability.
• Moment to Change Trim 1 cm (MCT1cm)
  The trimming moment in tonne-metres needed to alter a vessel's trim by one centimetre, used in stability calculations.
• MSL (Maximum Securing Load) (MSL)
  The maximum load a cargo-securing device may sustain — used in cargo-securing calculations per the CSS Code.
• On-Board Quantity / Remaining On Board (OBQ / ROB)
  OBQ is the oil, water, and sediment in a tanker's cargo tanks before loading; ROB is what remains after discharge. Both are gauged to establish the true quantity transferred.
• Purging (cargo tank)
  Replacing one gas atmosphere in a cargo tank with another (typically replacing flammable hydrocarbon with inert gas before tank entry, or vice versa before loading).
• Reefer
  A refrigerated container or cargo space maintaining a controlled temperature for perishable goods during transport.
• Reefer Plug
  An electrical socket in a ship's hold or on deck providing power to a reefer container's refrigeration unit.
• Roll-On/Roll-Off (RoRo)
  Cargo handling method where wheeled vehicles or trailers drive on and off the vessel under their own power via ramps.
• Segregation
  The physical separation of incompatible dangerous goods in stowage to prevent hazardous reactions if packaging fails.
• Ship/Shore Link (SSL)
  Hardwired signalling cable between ship and terminal for ESD and safety status during cargo transfer.
• Ship/Shore Safety Checklist (SSSCL)
  Mandatory pre-cargo-transfer checklist verified jointly by ship and terminal representatives.
• Stowage Factor (SF)
  The volume in cubic metres or cubic feet that one metric tonne of a commodity occupies when stowed in a ship's hold.
• Stowage Plan
  A diagram showing the planned or actual position of all cargo units aboard a vessel for a given voyage.
• Summer Draft
  The maximum permissible draft when loading in a Summer load line zone, shown on the ship's side as the Summer load line mark.
• Tonnes Per Centimetre (TPC)
  The mass required to change a vessel's mean draft by one centimetre, used to calculate draft changes during loading or discharging.
• Trim by the Head
  A trim condition where the forward draft exceeds the aft draft, reducing steering effectiveness and increasing wave-making resistance.
• Trim by the Stern
  A trim condition where the aft draft exceeds the forward draft, generally preferred for sea passage to improve propulsive efficiency.
• Turnbuckle
  A threaded tensioning device fitted in a lashing rod or wire to adjust and tighten cargo securing arrangements.
• Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU)
  Standard unit of cargo capacity equivalent to one 20-foot ISO shipping container, used to measure container ship capacity.
• Twistlock
  A securing device that fits into container corner castings and locks by a 90° twist to stack and secure containers.
• Ullage
  The empty distance between the surface of a liquid in a tank and a fixed reference point at the tank top; the measurement tankers use to determine cargo volume.
• Vapour Recovery System (VRS)
  Closed-loop return of cargo vapour from ship to shore (or shore to ship) during loading to prevent atmospheric venting.
• Vessel Experience Factor (VEF)
  The historical average ratio of a tanker's total calculated cargo volume to the shore Bill of Lading quantity, used to reconcile ship and shore figures.